For the Glory Of The Pokemon League
by ATypicalNumber
Summary: Ash is on his way to the Pokemon League! With old friends and rivals appearing and relations tested, will he win the title of Champion?
1. Rival Pt 1

***Blows Noisemaker***

 **HAPPY BIRTHDAY, POKEMON! WELL DONE, MASUDA! #TRAINON**

Serena walked on beside Ash, continually blushing at what had happened the previous night. Ash and Serena had shared a kiss, just after the dance at Terminus Cave. To make things even better, she stole Ash back from Miette's charm! However, she swore vengeance on the two just before they left to continue on to Snowbelle City. Currently, she was as happy as, well, a Happiny! Suddenly, she started to run ahead.

"What's the rush, Serena?" Ash questioned, trying to keep up.

"I just feel like running! Plus, it's good exercise!"

Ash smiled and ran to keep up with his blond-haired friend.

"Wait, you two! Don't just go running like that!"

"Well, maybe if you had lowered the weight of that backpack, you wouldn't have a problem! When we get back, I'm asking Daddy if we can get a Hitmontrainer for you."

Trailing behind Serena and Ash were the Lumiose City gym leader, Clemont, and his sister, Bonnie. They had joined Ash on his travels shortly after his journey started. Finally running out of breath, Serena slowed down.

"You sure run fast, considering the fact that you're wearing boots."

Serena blushed at Ash's compliment, and Ash blushed back. Meanwhile, Bonnie and Clemont caught up.

"Anyone hungry?"

"Come to think of it, I am a little hungry..." Ash answered.

"Me too!" Bonnie chimed in.

"Let's take a break!" Serena announced.

Clemont smiled, and he put down his backpack and prepared to cook. Bonnie began to play with Dedenne, and Ash began to talk to Serena.

"Hey, Serena! Why don't we have a Pokemon battle?"

"Huh? You know I'm not that good at battling..."

"Come on! Just give it a shot!"

"I don't know."

"Come on, Serena," Bonnie said, "I've never seen the two of you battle! Just this once? Please?" Bonnie puffed out her lips.

"Well, okay..."

"Great!"

The two trainers spread out.

"NOIBAT, I CHOOSE YOU!"

Serena smiled.

"Flying-Dragon...In that case, Sylveon! I choose you!"

Noibat fluttered in the air, while Sylveon stared at her opponent with determination in her eyes.

"NOIBAT, AIR SLASH!"

"COUNTER WITH FAIRY WIND!"

The two moves collided, resulting in a cloud of smoke.

"Now, use Dazzling Gleam!"

A bright light headed toward Noibat, who was awaiting Ash's command.

"DODGE!"

Noibat then flew into the air, avoiding the shining light.

"SUPERSONIC, NOIBAT!"

Noibat let loose an ear-piercing cry.

"SYLVEON, STAY STRONG! USE YOUR RIBBONS TO COVER NOIBAT'S MOUTH!"

Sylveon used two of her ribbons to reach Noibat in the air, and covered his mouth.

"Now, slam him down!"

Noibat was slammed into the ground as the ribbons returned to Sylveon.

"Good job, Serena! I never thought Sylveon could do something like that!"

"I learned from the best!"

"Then, I guess the real battle begins! NOIBAT, SUPERSONIC AGAIN!"

"SYLVEON, USE YOUR RIBBONS AGAIN!"

The ribbons headed toward Noibat.

"Not again! Noibat, circle around Sylveon, and use Supersonic!"

Noibat dodged the ribbons and produced a swirling Supersonic.

"Now, use Razor Wind!"

"USE FAIRY WIND!"

Both attacks landed a direct hit. However, both contestants were still standing.

"It's a close match, Serena!"

"Yeah!"

"LET'S FINISH THIS! CHARGE AND USE STEEL WING!"

"USE DAZZLING GLEAM!"

Noibat charged with a Steel Wing straight at the dazzling gleam.

"Keep going, Noibat..."

"GO, SYLVEON!"

"DODGE, NOIBAT!"

Right before Noibat would be hit with the Dazzling Gleam, he dodged and landed a super effective Steel Wing. Sylveon fainted.

"Well done, Noibat!"

"Take a good rest, Sylveon. You did a great job."

Serena walked to the victors.

"That was a good battle, Ash! How were you able to dodge the Dazzling Gleam at the last second like that?"

"I did that in a similar situation."

While they were talking, a boy was watching their entire battle from the trees. He was wearing sunglasses, had red spiky hair, and wore a blue shirt with jeans. Bonnie noticed this visitor.

"Who are you?"

He ignored Bonnie, and approached Ash, slowly clapping.

"Not bad! Not bad, _Ashy-boy_!"

The second he heard what the boy had called him, Ash suddenly had a glare on his face. He turned around to see Gary Oak, his first rival, with a smug grin on his face.

"But you're gonna have to do better than that if you have hopes to make it to the Kalos League!"

"What are you doing here?"

"Same as you! I'm trying to become the champio-" He caught sight of Serena, and immediately swooned.

"Won't you introduce me to your gorgeous friend here?"

"I'm Serena..." she said with a slightly annoyed tone.

"Are you two dating or something? Because if not-"

"YES, YES WE ARE!" Ash quickly confirmed before pulling Serena into a kiss.

"Ok, ok, break it up, jeez..."

Ash broke off the kiss, and continued to talk to Gary.

"How far have you gotten, Gary?"

"Farther than you, that's for sure!"

He held up his badge case to reveal he already had recieved the Snowbelle City badge.

"What about you?"

"I'm on my way to Snowbelle City-"

"HA! EVEN WHEN I'M NOT HERE I'M STILL AHEAD OF YOU! WHAT AN AMATEUR! JUST LIKE WHEN WE WERE KIDS!"

"When you were kids?" Serena asked.

"You see, sweetness," Gary explained, "This doofus was my first rival. I was always one step ahead, or one Pokemon stronger than him. In fact, let me tell you something! You know why he's stuck with that puny Pikachu? He slept in and missed Starter Day at my Gramps' lab!"

Serena chuckled.

"That is kind of funny...however, this Pikachu is the strongest I've ever seen!"

"Hm...wanna test that theory?"

Serena looked at Ash. Ash looked at Pikachu, who was fired up for a battle against an old rival.

"Pikachu looks like he's in. Let's do it!"

"Fine! One-on-one! Winner takes all!"

"DEAL!"

 **To be continued...**


	2. Rival Pt 2

**Sun and Moon, huh? I'm intrigued...but anyway, on with the story!**

"PIKACHU, I CHOOSE YOU!"

"NIDOKING, LET'S DO THIS!"

After a battle with Serena that Ash emerged victorious from, he had been surprised by a visit from Gary Oak, his rival from Kanto. Gary had challenged him to a one-on-one battle to see who was really ahead of the game.

"I hope you're ready Ashy-boy!"

"I sure am!"

"Then you can have the first move!"

"Pikachu, Iron Tail!"

Pikachu landed a successful Iron Tail, but Nidoking stood his ground.

"Aren't you going to attack, Gary?"

Gary stood silent as Ash questioned his motives.

"OK, then! Pikachu, Iron Tail again!"

Again, Pikachu landed Iron Tail, and started to make Nidoking weary. However, Gary still stood silent.

"Let's finish this! Iron tail once more!"

Gary grinned.

"Grab his tail, Nidoking!"

Before Pikachu could land the attack, Nidoking used both hands to stop him.

"WHAT?!"

"Now what're you gonna do, Ash? Last time I checked, you're Pikachu only knows Thunderbolt, Electroball, Quick Attack, and Iron Tail! Since Nidoking is part Ground, Electric attacks won't work, and Quick Attack and Iron Tail could only deal significant damage if you're on the ground! Face it! You're stuck!"

Ash was at a loss for words.

 _He's right! I can't really do anything if Nidoking keeps holding Pikachu!_

 _"_ NOW, SLAM PIKACHU INTO THE GROUND!"

Pikachu was forced into the Ground, and Nidoking pinned him there.

"Earthquake!"

A forceful earthquake surrounded the area, and Pikachu was getting hurt badly. Suddenly, Ash's eyes lit up.

"THAT'S IT! Pikachu, use your tail to get dirt in Nidoking's eyes!"

Pikachu, still pinned, used his tail to kick up dirt in his opponent's eyes. Startled, Nidoking staggered around, freeing Pikachu.

"GREAT JOB, PIKACHU!"

"Not quite! Nidoking, use Bulldoze to trap Pikachu again!"

"PIKACHU, USE IRON TAIL ON THE GROUND TO SEND YOU IN THE AIR!"

Bulldoze missed, but Ash's plan worked as Pikachu used Iron Tail to soar in the sky.

"Interesting, Ash. Very interesting. However, I'm still one step ahead. USE ICE BEAM, NIDOKING!"

"USE THUNDERBOLT WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT, PIKACHU!"

The two moves collided, with each side not giving in an inch.

"We need some extra power! Pikachu, use a combination of Quick Attack and Iron Tail!"

"Nidoking, stop!"

Pikachu began the combination and was honing in on Nidoking. Ash was gritting his teeth, so was Gary. As Pikachu got closer, Nidoking stood ready.

"GOTCHA, ASH! NIDOKING, AIM HYPER BEAM STRAIGHT AT PIKACHU!"

Nidoking let loose a Hyper Beam aiming straight at Pikachu. The latter dived headfirst into the Hyper Beam, but Ash knew his friend was okay.

"Stay strong, Pikachu! Keep running!"

Through the Hyper Beam, the two trainers could see Pikachu running through, still honing in on Nidoking. The Hyper Beam ended and Pikachu charged into Nidoking at high speed, and then completed the combo with an Iron Tail. Both were still standing.

"Let's finish this, Ash!"

"Let's do it!"

"IRON TAIL!"

"SUPERPOWER, NIDOKING!"

Both Pokemon charged at each other with Superpower and Iron Tail. Pikachu jumped and aimed the Iron Tail, while Nidoking had jumped too, with Superpower prepared.

"GO, PIKACHU!"

"FINISH THIS, NIDOKING!"

Nidoking landed Superpower while getting hit with Iron Tail, and vice versa with Pikachu. The two crashed to the ground, both panting. Nidoking got up, and stared at a Pikachu, who was still on the ground.

"Looks like this is it, Ash!"

"PIKACHU, GET UP!"

"HYPER BEAM!"

"PIKACHU, RUN!"

However, it was too late. Nidoking had scored a successful Hyper Beam, knocking out Pikachu.

"Pikachu!"

Ash ran over to Pikachu, who was bruised and battered, while Gary returned Nidoking to his Pokeball. He then walked over to Ash.

"Although I hate to admit it, you've got one gutsy Pikachu."

"What do you mean?"

Serena and Bonnie ran over to Ash and Gary.

"Most Pokemon couldn't last two Hyper Beams and a Superpower from a Nidoking."

"This Pikachu isn't like most Pokemon."

"You just don't get it, do you Ash?"

The three looked at Gary.

"When I say they couldn't last, I mean they couldn't last! Nidoking has the power to kill any Pokemon in its path with enough training. However, I've managed to restrain his power. I don't want any Pokemon to suffer what one of my Pokemon had..."

"What do you mean, Gary?"

Clemont finished setting the table.

"LUNCH IS READY! COME AND GET IT!"

"Come on, Ash. Let's eat!" Serena urged Ash, but he was planted to the spot.

"I'll be right there, Serena."

Serena slowly walked away with Bonnie, before turning back to look at Ash.

"You see, Ash," Gary explained, "As I studied in my Gramps' lab as a researcher, I also studied specific Pokemon. One of my favorite was a Raticate. I found him as an innocent little Rattata, and decided to take him under my wing. We played together, trained together, until finally, he evolved into a Raticate. Our bond was unbreakable. Like yours and Pikachu's..."

Ash stayed silent. Gary stood with his hands in his pocket.

"Then one day...I met this one trainer. A rather mysterious one. I met him aboard the S.S. Anne. He was wearing a red vest and jeans, and had a red cap. When I met him, we battled, you know how it goes...but when I used my Raticate, he went full force. His Pokemon was relentless. I could still remember the flames that consumed my Raticate from his Charmeleon. He pounded my Raticate, even when it already lost. But he still continued to harm my Pokemon. Brick Break, Dragon Claw, you name it. Until finally, he used Focus Punch and sent him flying."

A tear slid down Gary's face.

"I ran over to Raticate. He could barely breathe. I wanted to give the trainer a piece of my mind, but he had vanished. The second I got off the ship, I ran towards the Pokemon Center, Raticate in hand. But by the time I gave him to Nurse Joy, it was too late. It didn't take long for her to return to me and give me the news."

His formed a tight fist. He clenched his teeth.

"It was over. I walked over to Lavender Town and buried one of my best friends. I was about to join him...I called out Kingler to finish the job with Guillotine, but I stopped myself."

"I'm really sorry, Gary. I can't imagine what it felt like."

He put his hand on Gary's shoulder only to have it brushed off.

"It's because you never will, Ash Ketchum. You never will understand how it feels to have one of your friends die in front of your eyes! NEVER!"

"Gary?"

"But you will understand how it feels to have your dreams die! You'll feel the aching pain and sorrow of having to say goodbye to the hope and will have to dream nightmares about how you failed! HOW YOU LET YOURSELF DOWN AND YOUR FRIENDS DOWN AND THE WORLD DOWN! IT WILL DRIVE YOU MAD WITH INSANITY, KNOWING THAT YOU'RE HELPLESS AGAINST IT! HOW YOU'LL CONSTANTLY THINK OF HOW WEAK YOU REALLY ARE!"

Ash stood, surprised at this sudden outburst. Gary stood staring at him, seething with rage.

"That's why..."

Ash listened.

"That's why I'll finish the job myself. You're not getting to the Pokemon League. You're not getting to the Elite Four. I'LL MAKE SURE YOU NEVER TOUCH THE TITLE OF KALOS CHAMPION!"

"I'll prove you wrong! Like I did when we were kids!"

"But we're not kids, Ash! This is not the Orange League. This isn't some minor tournament. THIS IS THE KALOS LEAGUE, THE BATTLE FOR CHAMPION TITLE."

Gary stood panting, then finally glared at Ash.

"I'll see you soon, Ashy-boy! Real soon..."

He then walked off. Ash walked to where his friends were eating, thinking of his former rival turned enemy.

"Are you OK, Ash?" Clemont asked.

"I think we should get a move on."

"But you didn't eat!" Serena protested.

Silently, Ash healed his Pikachu. While Clemont cleaned up.

Ten minutes later, they were ready to continue on to Snowbelle City.

"Are you sure you'll be fine on an empty stomach?" Serena asked.

Ash looked at Serena with determination.

"I'm not hungry for food. Only for victory."

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**


	3. Reflect

**Two in one day? Great!**

Continuing on Route 19, Ash and his friend were heading towards Snowbelle City. However, Ash wasn't just competing for the title of Kalos champion. He was competing to prove Gary Oak wrong. He had met him earlier in the day, and he had sworn to prevent Ash from getting the title of Kalos champion, thus sparking their rivalry once more.

"Ash?"

Serena grabbed Ash's hand, causing him to look at her.

"What's wrong?"

Ash squeezed Serena's hand as Gary's words echoed in his head.

"I can't explain it! I don't know why I feel this way!"

Serena stopped along with Ash.

"Is it Gary?"

"Maybe. Possibly? I don't know!"

"What did he say to you?"

Ash sat down on a nearby ledge, and Serena sat next to him.

"Ash?"

"Have you ever had someone who's determined to take something from you? Someone who won't rest until you're miserable?"

"No, why?"

"Do you want to take a walk with me tonight? I'll explain it to you then."

Serena blushed.

"Sure!"

"Serena! Ash! Keep up! You know you're slow when you're walking behind my big brother!"

"Bonnie!"

"You know it's true!"

Serena and Ash both jogged to catch up with the group as they approached Snowbelle City.

When they reached the Snowbelle City Pokemon Center, they healed up their Pokemon and prepared to stay the night. Bonnie was reading the Kalos map.

"Guys! Guys! There's a Pokemon Village near here! Can we go visit? Please, please, please?"

"I don't mind that! What do you think, Ash?" Clemont asked.

"Serena and I were going to go for a walk. Maybe later." Ash explained.

"Suit yourself!"

Bonnie and Clemont walked toward Route 20, leading to the Pokemon Village while Ash and Serena headed to Route 22, leading them towards Santalune City.

"Ash? What's going on?"

They stopped at a bridge, and watched the water Pokemon play.

"Gary...he's...sick."

"But he looked fine to me!"

"Not that kind of sick. He told me a story when you and Bonnie went to eat lunch."

He looked up into the night sky, where stars watched them from above.

"He told me I was lucky to have a strong Pikachu, a Pikachu who can withstand the force of a Nidoking's power. He explained that he wasn't so lucky."

"What do you mean?"

"Back when we parted ways, he told me he had a Raticate that he held dearly to his heart, and that their bond was like me and Pikachu's."

"But how does that explain why he's sick?"

"One day he fought a trainer with a Charmeleon. The Charmeleon badly hurt the Raticate, even when he was down. Finally, the battle ended. Raticate couldn't last much longer, and as soon as the boat landed, he ran to the Pokemon Center, only to find that Raticate had already passed away. He buried him in Lavender Town, and almost committed suicide."

Serena gasped and was on the verge of tears.

"But when I tried to comfort him, something inside him snapped. He told me I'd never know how it feels to lose something that important to me. That's why he vowed to keep me from winning the Kalos league."

"What?! Why?"

"I don't know! That's why I'm going to prove him wrong."

"I believe you will."

Serena then kissed Ash, who returned it. As they broke away, they stared at each other passionately, knowing that they were there for each other. Serena was ready to support Ash in his missions and vice versa.

"You should go catch up to Clemont and Bonnie."

"Are you sure?"

"I'll be all right. I just need some time to myself."

"Okay. I'll meet you at the Pokemon Center."

"All right."

With that, Serena went towards Route 20 to catch up to the brother and sister in Pokemon Village. Ash walked inside the roses and stared at his reflection. For some reason, he saw someone else in him. He tried to enhance his image, only to see Gary Oak staring at him. Inside him, Ash felt empty.

"Gary?"

He suddenly felt cold. He felt himself unable to look away at the reflection. The picture started to shake, as he saw a Pokemon in his reflection. Suddenly, everything went black.

 _"What? Where am I?"_

Everything around him was blurry. He tried to walk, but he couldn't keep his balance.

 _"Hello? Who's there?"_

 _"It's me..."_

 _"Who's me?! Show yourself!"_

Everything was distorted.

" _Now, now...that wouldn't be smart. If you see me, you'll be overtaken by pain and suffering..."_

 _"Prove it!"_

He suddenly felt an ominous presence near him. He whirled around and saw a Pokemon he had seen before. It was Giratina, they demon-like Pokemon he had helped in Sinnoh.

" _I warned you!"_

 _"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"_

 _"Now do you see?!"_

 _Why do I feel this way? I've never hurt anyone? But I have! My sanity is hurt! I can only resist!_ Ash thought.

 _"Where-am-I?!"_

 _"The distortion world...I've been looking for visitors...and I found you instead! What luck!"_

 _"Why-do-I feel like this?!"_

 _"You don't want to admit the truth...you feel frightened of your own identity, your inner self. You're afraid of being like Gary. Ever since you looked in that river, you've had this aching feeling of anger and regret..."_

 _"BUT WHY?! I DON'T WANT TO BE LIKE GARY! I'LL NEVER BE LIKE HIM!"_

 _"You're close, Ash Ketchum! You're close to snapping all because of one memory! Why don't I remind you of the loved one you've lost?"_

 _"NO! NO!"_

 _"I remember how you felt that day! I've always known! You couldn't explain the mixture of emotions! You were so young when he left..."_

 _"Stop! Please!"_

 _"Deep down, you and Gary are the same...both angry and upset...but you're afraid of letting that anger come out."_

 _"Stop!"_

 _"You don't want to hurt those you love. Not even Serena...I wonder what would happen if she knew that dreaded secret..."_

 _"AAAAHHHH!"_

 _"Gary has released his anger...he feels much better than he ever did..."_

 _"I'm-not-like-Gary!"_

 _"We'll see about that."_

 _"ASH!"_

 _"Oh, it looks like our visit has come to a close!"_

 _"ASH! WAKE UP!"_

 _"Farewell, Ash! The Pokemon League is your final destination."_

 _"ASH!"_

Serena, joined with Clemont and Bonnie, were trying to shake an unconscious Ash awake. Ash opened his eyes.

"Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine! Where was I?"

"You were right here! You didn't go anywhere."

Ash looked into Serena's blue eyes.

 _"I wonder what would happen if she knew that dreaded secret..."_

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Ash shouted at Serena, who stared at Ash with twinkling blue eyes.

Ash realized his mistake, and found that his fear had ended up scaring Serena. He got up and ran toward Snowbelle City.

"Never! I'll never be like him! YOU'RE LYING!"

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**


	4. Nightmare

**It's getting a little dark, don't you think?**

Ash ran straight to the Pokemon Center, ran to his room and locked the door. He was sweating, and deep down, he knew that Giratina was right. He knew that deep down, something was rising. Something hateful and vengeful that made him feel rage. This rage that he felt, that rose up so suddenly recently, had come out and attacked Serena. He hated himself, knowing that her sweet and innocent spirit must have been shattered with fear. Ash gritted his teeth and a tear slid down his cheek.

"Him," Ash whispered, "It's all because of him...because he left...I've never felt the same. Maybe he's right...I'm just like-"

Someone knocked at the door.

"A-Ash?"

He knew that Serena was outside the door. She sounded as if she had been crying.

"Serena?"

He walked over to the door and unlocked it and opened the door. Serena's blue eyes sparkled like she had been crying. She walked in and closed the door before coming to sit next to Ash.

"I'm sorry...I don't know what's wrong with me."

She made him face her.

"What did you see? What happened after I left?"

"I can't say..."

"Please tell me! I can't stand to see you hurting like this!"

A tear slid down her face.

"Please..."

"I looked at my reflection in the lake, and saw Gary."

"I didn't know he was even there! Where was he?"

"I saw him in myself."

"What do you mean? You're nothing like him!"

"He was angry...I was angry...he's taking advantage of the fact that I am angry too."

"But why? You looked fine earlier today. And who's he?"

"Remember when I was unconscious at the lake?"

"Yeah..."

"I entered the Distortion World, and came face-to-face with it's sole resident and ruler himself..."

Serena pulled out her PokePedia and searched the term 'Distortion World'.

"According to this, it's an alternate universe where all forms of matter in this world became something anew. Apparently it can only be accessed in the Sinnoh region. The only Pokemon that lives there is called 'Giratina'. He's ruled by despair and fury, and is attracted to those who are hiding their anger. Is that right?"

"Yes!"

"But how did you enter something that can only be accessed in the Sinnoh region in your dreams?"

"I don't know! But I have a feeling he has something to do with Gary."

"Enough about Gary."

She put her arms around his neck.

"What are you angry about?"

"I can't say...I don't want to remember."

"I understand. In the meantime, you should practice for tomorrow. You have a battle with Wulfric."

"I completely forgot! Thanks!"

 **The next day, after the gym battle...**

"Congratulations, Ash!"

"That was an amazing battle!"

"Well done!"

"Thanks, guys! Now on to the Pokemon League!"

"But wait, Ash," Clemont said, "You haven't been to the Pokemon Village yet!"

"But-"

"There are some really adorable Pokemon there!" Bonnie said.

"She's right," Serena chimed in, "You should go!"

Outvoted again, Ash submitted.

"All right, fine. Let's go!"

 **In Pokemon Village...**

"Wow, you weren't kidding about it being a beautiful place!" Ash said in awe.

"I told you!" Serena said.

"Why don't you catch some?" Bonnie suggested.

"You may want to update Pokemon for your team in the league." Clemont pointed out.

"But I only have one spot left!"

"Make the most of it then!" Serena said.

The group walked around and admired the many kinds of Pokemon. Ash searched for a Pokemon that deserved the 6th and final spot on his team. He found a Snorlax, Banette, and Gyarados, but he continued to look. He looked in a cave. Bonnie caught up to him.

"Hey, Ash! What if there was a legendary Pokemon in here? Would you catch it?"

"Maybe I will...if there was, that is..."

Bonnie ran out to join everyone else, leaving Ash alone in the cave.

"Well, nothing much to look at in here!"

" _I wouldn't say that, Ashy-boy!"_

He whirled around and found Gary standing in front of him. Except Gary this time looked different...he had dark eyes and added an ominous vibe to the environment, similar to the one Giratina produced.

"What-What-"

" _See you soon, Ash!"_

"Ash?" Serena stepped inside the cave.

"Did you see that?"

"See what?"

"Gary!"

Serena gasped.

"How did he find you?"

"I think I'm seeing things...maybe we should go. There are lots of Pokemon in the Pokemon League."

"You're right. Let's go!" 

They rushed out of the cave and headed toward the Pokemon League gate. An ace trainer blocked his path.

"Hello, trainer! In order to continue, you need all eight badges. Let me see how many you have!"

Ash handed him his full Kalos badge case.

"Amazing! Good luck in the league!"

They walked past the trainer and continued to Victory Road. They entered a cave with platforms, steps, and lots of Pokemon. They walked past and Ariados tending to its newly hatched Spinarak. They passed a Graveler battling a Golem, with Geodude cheering. Hopping from one platform to the other, they walked up stairs and finally approached the Pokemon Cathedral.

"We made it! Are you ready Ash?" Serena asked.

"Yeah." Ash said with confidence.

"Good luck!" Bonnie said cheerily.

"NOT SO FAST!"

Behind them was Gary Oak, the rival turned enemy, smiling evilly.

"Gary?! Where did you-"

"Don't be so surprised, Ketchum! I said I would keep you from winning, and I will. Now all I have to do is finish the job."

Pikachu ran next to Ash's side, ready to battle. Bonnie ran to her brother and held him tight. Serena held Ash's hand.

"Scared?"

"No. If you want to battle, then I accept your challenge."

"Great! Except there's one twist..."

Ash stood silent.

"I'm battling you! LUGIA, LET'S GO!"

He threw a PokeBall to reveal a Shadow Lugia, prepared for battle.

"Use Aeroblast on Ashy-boy, please."

The Pokemon and aimed an Aeroblast at Ash.

"ASH LOOK OUT!"

Serena pushed him out of the way, and took the attack.

"SERENA!"

Surprised, Gary returned Lugia. Serena was on the ground, wincing in pain.

"Serena! Are you okay?"

"Ah-Ash..."

"Wow...you really care about her, don't you?"

Ash turned around to face Gary. He was seething with rage.

"Is that enough to make you release it? To see your sweet Serena hurt?"

"AAAHHHH!" Ash screamed.

"It hurts, doesn't it? Let it go! Let's have a real battle!"

"Never-"

"No? Okay, then! Let me help you!"

To Ash's surprise, Gary released another Pokemon. It was a Xerneas.

"Xerneas, heal Serena."

The Pokemon pranced over, and used Aromatherapy. Serena got up slowly, and ran over to Ash, only to be stopped by Xerneas.

"No, no, no...I'm not being that nice...but here's what I will do! Use Barrier on the inventor, Serena, and the little girl!"

Suddenly, his three companions were trapped in a large bubble with Xerneas on the inside. Gary walked inside.

"NO! AHHH!"

"ANGRY YET, ASHY-BOY? READY TO KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO HAVE EVERYTHING IMPORTANT TO YOU TAKEN AWAY?"

"AAAHHHH! LET-THEM-GO!"

He smiled.

"Why don't you make me? Xerneas, use Teleport!" **(Xerneas probably can't use teleport, I know.)**

"ASH!" Serena screamed.

"HELP US!" Bonnie yelled, with tears running down her face.

"Smell ya later, Ashy-boy!"

With that, they were gone. Ash and Pikachu were alone. Ash fell to his knees.

"WHY?! WHY?!"

Pikachu jumped and gave his broken trainer a hug. But it had no effect. ( **See what I did there?)**

"Come on, Pikachu. We don't know where they are, but we'll find out."

They continued to the Pokemon Center before the Elite Four, and booked a room. He turned on the TV to be greeted with a news report.

 _"Breaking News! In Lavender Town, a large black cloud has appeared over the Pokemon Graveyard. Everything seems to be distorted, but we someone, or something, is in there."_

Astonished, Ash looked at his past environment. He watched on, full of rage.

"Serena...Bonnie...Clemont...I'm coming for you."

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**


	5. Broken

**A finale is in order. But not now! Enjoy the fifth chapter!**

Ash was tossing and turning imagining the adventure ahead. He had to get back to Kanto to stop Gary. But how?

 _"Now, I believe we can have a proper visit without being interrupted..."_

 _"Giratina?"_

"The _one and only! Miss me?"_

 _"HOW DO YOU KEEP GETTING IN MY MIND?"_

 _"I can enter and escape minds at will! I find it fun, actually! You would if you were me."_

 _"..."_

 _"Now, you're in a bit of a situation, aren't you?"_

 _"What do you care? They're gone."_

 _"Just like another person I know...and one that you know too."_

Ash looked up at the blackness that was the Distortion World.

" _Please don't remind me..."_

 _"You were six years old..."_

Suddenly, Ash was taken back to Pallet Town ten years ago. Ash was a young boy playing with a Growlithe and Poliwag.

 _"It was a beautiful day. Sun was shining, Pidgeys chirping, until..."_

A man rushed out the door. A woman followed him and was crying. Ash ran to the man.

 _"Daddy!"_

The man hugged him and kneeled down to face him.

" _Ash...I'm sorry, but I have to go away."_

 _"Will you be back tonight for dinner?"_

 _"I'm afraid not, my little Cubone."_

Young Ash put his hands up.

" _Up! Up!"_

The man laughed.

 _"OK, one more time."_

The man picked Ash up and put him down.

 _"Again!"_

 _"I'm sorry, my Cubone. I have to go now."_

The man then ran walked away.

" _I'll miss you sport! Goodbye!"_

" _DADDY! COME BACK!"_

 _"Sorry, Ash. Daddy's not coming back..."_

With tears in his eyes, Ash hugged his Mom.

 _"Where's Daddy going?"_

 _"You'll understand when you're older, Ash. Not now. Let's go inside."_

With that, the two entered the house. Back in the Distortion World, Ash had started to tear up a little.

 _"I said not to show me that!"_

 _"It was for your own good..."_

 _"HOW?!"_

 _"You'll see."_

Suddenly, clouds of matter appeared to make a shape. The shape was of the man. Ash stared in the face of his father.

" _Remember him now?"_

Something rose up inside Ash. He gritted his teeth harder than ever, and clenched his fists.

" _WHERE-HAVE-YOU-BEEN?!"_

No answer. He simply looked at his son with a blank expression.

" _WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME?! WHY?!"_

No answer. Ash was crying uncontrollably.

" _PLEASE SAY SOMETHING!"_

 _"There's nothing he could say."_

 _"What?"_

 _"He can neither see you nor hear you."_

 _"Then-why-"_

 _"That is for you to figure out...but for now...I'd like to see how you can fare against me..."_

Suddenly, Ash felt himself being shaken. Pikachu was trying to shake him awake.

" _Your friends need you. See you soon..."_

 _"AAAAAHHHHH!"_

Ash sat up in his bed. Pikachu was staring at him, with eyes full of worry. Ash had been sweating and crying which had attracted his attention. Ash picked up Pikachu and hugged him.

"Come on, Pikachu. It's time to go back home..."

Ash went downstairs and activated the PokeTransporter.

"Hello? Liza? I need him..."

 **In the Kanto region...**

 **"** All right. We made it to Lavender Town."

Ash made a beeline straight to the Pokemon Graveyard. However, he was stopped by some familiar friends.

"Ash! Are you OK?"

"Where have you been?"

Ash was greeted by his former traveling companion and Cerulean City Gym Leader, Misty, and Professor Oak.

"I'm fine! How have you two been?"

"I've been great until now! What do you think is going on?" Misty answered.

"I think this has something to do with his old Pokemon."

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Professor Oak.

"I'll explain later. My friends are in there, and I've got to save them."

"Be careful!"

Ash and Pikachu ran straight inside the cloud surrounding the Pokemon graveyard. In the middle was Gary, standing in front of a tombstone. His hair was blood red, he was now wearing black jeans and a red shirt.

" _I've been waiting for you, Ashy-boy!"_

"Gary! What are you doing here? Where are Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont?"

" _Oh, they're fine! They're taking a little nap..."_

Some clouds dissolved and revealed his three companions in a deep sleep.

" _Whether they wake up or not is up to me currently! You will know how it feels!"_

"Gary! I don't want to hurt you!"

" _I know...but I want to hurt YOU! I want to create a scar deeper than the one that's been made ten years ago. One that will hurt you more than when your father left..."_

 _"_ How did you-"

" _Enough talk!"_

 _"_ GARY!"

" _Call me...Blue."_

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**


	6. Distorted

**Let us continue. Battle begin!**

Ash clenched his five PokeBalls in his small backpack and prepared to free his friends once and for all. Gary did the same with an evil smile on his face.

" _Well, Ashy-boy! Let's begin! The sooner I get rid of you, the sooner I'll achieve satisfaction. And that'll also be the end of your friends!"_

"Everyone! Let's do this!"

Ash threw his PokeBalls and revealed Greninja, Noivern, Hawlucha, Talonflame, Pikachu, and his recently returned Charizard.

" _Well, well, well. This is a new one on me! Four new, two old. My turn to astound you! My team! Let's show Ashy-boy a good time."_

Blue threw his six PokeBalls, and revealed a team consisted of shadow Pokemon. His Shadow Lugia, Shadow Suicune, Shadow Zapdos, Shadow Ho-Oh, Shadow Deoxys, and Shadow Rayquaza all faced their opponents.

"All right, everyone! We have to win this! Not only for Gary's sake, but for our friends!" All of Ash's Pokemon cried in agreement.

" _Allow me to set the stage! We don't want any innocent townsfolk getting hurt, now do we?"_

Suddenly, the area got darker than it already was. Everything became misshaped, the gravity was changed. There were now platforms everywhere. They were in the Distortion World. However, Giratina wasn't there.

" _I suspect you remember this place."_

"The Distortion World! But where's-"

" _Your looking at him."_

In horror, Ash put the pieces together. Giratina had taken control of Gary's spirit.

"You've-you've-taken control of Gary's soul! Why?!"

" _Oh, Ash, you're as dumb as ever! I was attracted by Gary's rage after the death of Raticate. He didn't want to hurt anyone, but he was too angry. He wanted to be freed. So, I freed him. In exchange, well...you'll see!"_

 _"_ NO! NO!"

" _Come on, Ash! Hit me with your best shot! CHARGE!"_

With that, all six shadow Pokemon rushed at Ash and his Pokemon. Ash's Pokemon returned the action. Charizard charged the Zapdos, Greninja charged Deoxys, Noivern charged Lugia, Hawlucha charged Rayquaza, and Pikachu charged at Suicune. Ash and Blue stood facing each other.

" _Just because I'm in human form doesn't mean I can't use my powers."_

Blue suddenly started to float in the air. He then used Ominous Wind to blow Ash off balance.

"WHOOOOAAAA!"

 _I'VE GOT TO HANG ON!_ Ash thought.

Ash had been blown back by the force of the attack, straight into Deoxys. Ash turned to face the enraged Pokemon, who prepared to use Hyper Beam, only to be attacked by Greninja.

" _So you held on...Interesting..."_

Suddenly, a stream of energy departed Blue's mouth. It was Dragon Breath. Ash dodged the attack from left to right, he jumped from platform to platform to avoid the pursuing attack, but he couldn't escape it. He was hit.

"AAAHH!"

" _This coming from the soon-to-be Pokemon Master?"_

Ash struggled to get up, only for Blue to ram straight into him, with so much force that he slammed straight into a nearby gravestone. He was hurting all over. His spine had been damaged, he had a huge gash on his head, blood was rushing down his face and covering his eyes. However, he wiped his eyes and tried to stand, only to be met with searing pain.

" _Looks like I win! Why don't you let me finish the job so you can be at peace?"_

Blue gathered orbs of energy to unleash a powerful Hyper Beam. Ash just closed his eyes, and prepared to take the attack.

 _Serena...Bonnie...Clemont...thank you. For everything! I hope...you find happiness..._ he thought.

However, Blue was tackled by Charizard, who had left his battle with Zapdos. He picked up Ash and prepared to fight aerially. Enraged, Blue got up.

" _Oh, so you intend to use your Pokemon to defeat me? Well, why don't I return the favor? ALL SHADOW POKEMON! GO AFTER THAT BOY!"_

All of Blue's Pokemon stopped fighting Ash's and surrounded Ash and his Charizard.

"CHARIZARD! FLY, NOW!"

" _Rayquaza! Bring our guests to the ground with Dragon Ascent."_

With blinding speed, Rayquaza pursued his target with Dragon Ascent. Charizard and Ash barely outran Rayquaza.

" _Suicune, help Rayquaza with Hydro Pump."_

Suicune aimed a Hydro Pump at Charizard, but was rammed by Noivern, thus changing Suicune's aim to hit Blue.

" _AAAHHH! NO! WE'LL HAVE NONE OF THAT!"_

Suddenly, Noivern, Greninja, Hawlucha, Pikachu, and Talonflame were all encased in a bubble similar to that holding his Kalos companions.

" _NOW! SUICUNE, HYDRO PUMP! ZAPDOS, THUNDERBOLT! LUGIA, AEROBLAST! DEOXYS, HYPER BEAM! RAYQUAZA, DRAGON PULSE!"_

The shadow Pokemon let loose a barrage of attacks, with Charizard weaving in and out of them.

"CHARIZARD! USE FLAMETHROWER ON BLUE!"

" _Suicune, protect!"_

Suicune protected its trainer.

"Try Lugia, Charizard!"

The Flamethrower scored a direct hit on Lugia, but Deoxys had landed a hit with Hyper Beam.

Charizard and Ash fell to the ground, both in excruciating pain.

" _NOW, LET'S GET THIS OVER WITH!"_

Suddenly, Blue disappeared while the shadow Pokemon charged. Charizard took the blows of the attacks severely weakening him. Meanwhile, Ash took the opportunity to run. Ash's Pokemon freed themselves by using a combination of their most powerful attacks, and ran to assist Charizard, thus continuing the battle. Ash ran up some steps and found himself on a platform looking over the Distortion World.

Ash was then slammed into a nearby pillar by Gary.

" _LET'S FINISH THIS, KETCHUM!"_

Ash rolled out of the way of an incoming Aura Sphere.

" _YOU'VE BEEN A PAIN FOR FAR TOO LONG!"_

This time, Ash dodged out of the way of a Dragon Pulse, except this time, it followed him. Ash stumbled around the attack, but was again slammed into a pillar. He could barely stand, but managed to rise.

"I-WILL-NOT LET YOU HURT-THEM!"

" _YOU DON'T HAVE TO LET ME. YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS WILL NOT LEAVE ALIVE!"_

He then prepared a Hyper Beam, but Ash tackled Blue, and they both fell straight into the abyss.

"I will free you, Gary!"

" _I'VE TOLD YOU ALREADY! GARY DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE!"_

Blue then turned themselves over, now Ash was on the bottom. Blue began a barrage of punches to Ash's face, giving him bruises everywhere. Ash then used some of his remaining strength to get Blue back on the bottom of the falling pair.

" _I'm surprised you haven't died yet. It's obvious I'll need help to dispose of you! All shadow Pokemon! Come, and finish this flea off!"_

Ash turned around and saw that all of the shadow Pokemon were there and aimed a mix of Hyper Beam, Dragon Pulse, Hydro Pump, and Aeroblast straight at him.

" _YOU'RE FINISHED, KETCHUM!"_

 _"_ Not quite!"

Ash then leaned to the left to turn over the duo once more, and Blue got hit with the combination.

" _AAAAHHHH!"_

"EVERYONE! LET'S FINISH HIM OFF!"

" _Oh, no you don't! That may have been a strong attack, but I still have one card left. Why don't you turn around?"_

Ash turned around and saw another shadow Pokemon rise. This was larger than any other Pokemon he had seen. He was staring into the eyes of a shadow Arceus.

" _You're in luck! I'm only going to tell this Pokemon to use one move! One that is sure to kill you instantly!"_

Ash knew what he was talking about, and braced himself. Arceus aimed Judgment straight at Ash.

" _Goodbye, Ketchum! Everyone, add to the attack by using your strongest attack!"_

"NO!"

Suddenly, Blue was suddenly hit by a Flamethrower from Charizard. He picked up Ash, and put Blue in his mouth.

"Thanks, Charizard! AIM STRAIGHT FOR THAT JUDGMENT ATTACK!"

Charizard then made a beeline for the oncoming attack with another attack combination by the shadow legendaries following him.

"JUST-A-LITTLE-MORE, CHARIZARD!"

" _STOP HIM!"_

"LET GO OF BLUE!"

Ash's Charizard released Blue and escaped just as the attacks hit Blue. The result was an explosion that was big enough to destroy both the Kalos and Kanto region instantly.

" _AAAAAAHHHHHHH!"_

The shadow Pokemon all disintegrated. Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont woke up. The Distortion World then became an empty void. Ash was floating with Charizard, Ash's Pokemon were getting his friends out of the realm. Ash then saw a familiar sight.

"Ash?"

Ash looked in the face of Gary Oak.

"Gary! You're all right!"

"Thanks to you! I wouldn't be here without you!"

Suddenly, Ash saw a Pokemon run toward Gary and jump on him. It was Gary's Raticate.

"Hey! You got your Raticate back!"

"It's one of the benefits of being-well-gone. I get to see old friends, like Raticate."

"I'm glad for you, Gary Oak. I wish you the best of luck."

"Even though I never became the champion of a region, I hope you make it to the top. Good luck, Ashy-boy."

Ash smiled.

"Now get out of here. Your friends are waiting for you."

Ash mounted Charizard and flew towards the gateway to Lavender Town. He turned around and saw Gary waving at him with a grin from ear to ear. They soon entered the Pokemon graveyard and the portal closed. The clouds were gone. Everything was back to normal. Serena ran to Ash and gave him a hug. She couldn't stop the tears from running down her face.

"ARE YOU OK?! WHAT HAPPENED?"

"I'm fine... I am a little tired though..."

Ash then collapsed, and Serena, Bonnie, Clemont, and his Pokemon surrounded him.

"Ash! Stay awake!"

"COME ON, ASH! STAY WITH US!"

"YOU CAN DO IT!"

However, the drowsiness had overtaken Ash, and everything went black.

 **In the Pokemon Center...**

Ash awoke on a bed. He had a bandage over his head from the gash. He could move his arms, and he sat up. His back didn't hurt. The door opened and Serena stepped in.

"I thought I lost you...don't ever worry me like that again!"

Serena pulled Ash in for a kiss, a kiss that felt better than the one that she had experienced in Terminus Cave. The two then hugged each other before the door opened once more.

Bonnie and Clemont joined Serena in the room. They joined the hug and they left Ash to change.

Twelve minutes later, Ash left the room and Pikachu jumped on his shoulder.

"Now, on to the Pokemon League!"

 **In the Elite Four room...**

"Hmmm...so many doors! Which one should you enter first?" Bonnie asked.

"I don't know. How about the Water-type room?"

"Why not?" Serena agreed.

The four entered the room and rode the elevator to the Water-type battlefield. There, a boy was waiting for looked as if he was about eighteen or seventeen years old. He wore glasses, had black hair in a style similar to Clemont's, wore a tie and wore blue pants. He straightened his tie.

"Welcome, challenger. I am Cheren, the Water-type Elite Four member."

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**


	7. Previous Generation

**Back to the story!**

Ash looked at Cheren, who returned the gaze. He then straightened his tie once again, and walked to his side of the battlefield.

"You're the boy who returned to Kanto to save your friend, yes?"

"How did you know?"

"The gash on your head and the Pikachu that's constantly by your side. Have you met a girl named Bianca?"'

"Yes! She constantly ran into me in the Unova region. I never know where she comes from. How do you know her?"

"We both started out on our journeys at the same time. We were rivals along with this other boy. Or was it a girl? Anyway, back home, she seemed to talk about you quite alot."

"So, how did you get to be the Water-type gym leader?"

"As I did my job as gym leader in Unova, I also encountered many types of Pokemon. The one type that stood out to me was water. After that day, I studied the patterns of water types, their movements, what moves they could learn, how they could evolve, and how they can use their physical attributes to their advantage in battle."

"Wow! You sound like a strong opponent."

"Don't say that."

"Why?"

"I want you to judge me after you battle me. Are you ready?"

Ash looked at his Pikachu, who had an advantage over Water.

"Your Pikachu looks ready. Let us begin. Blastoise, come on!"

Cheren threw a PokeBall to reveal a Blastoise. Pikachu ran to the side opposite him.

"Ash, I only have four Pokemon to battle with. However, these aren't four ordinary Pokemon. Hit me with your best shot!"

"PIKACHU! THUNDERBOLT!"

Pikachu landed a direct hit on the Blastoise, however, the Blastoise stood unfazed.

"Ah, I see you're using types to your advantage. Of course, I know that Water is weak against Electric-type attacks. However, I also know the weakness of Electric types. Blastoise, use Earthquake."

The ground suddenly started to shake. Pikachu tried was trying to keep his balance, but failed.

 _Hmmm...Blastoise is strong! But it's not faster than Pikachu._ Ash thought.

"Pikachu! Jump onto Blastoise's shell!"

"That won't be so easy. Use Rapid Spin!"

Pikachu soared through the air and prepared to land, but was blown back by the Rapid Spin.

"Now, charge at Pikachu, Blastoise."

With the Rapid Spin, Blastoise raced towards Pikachu.

 _I can't get Blastoise if he's in that shell! Wait! That's it!_

"Pikachu! Watch Blastoise closely, and use Thunderbolt on the hole in his shell!"

Pikachu watched Blastoise close enough to see when the holes on each side of his shell would appear. He then produced a Thunderbolt that severely damaged Blastoise, and forced him to reveal himself.

"Well done. You've managed to counter my Rapid Spin. I commend you. However, this battle has lasted much too long. Blastoise. Use Skull Bash on Pikachu."

"Pikachu, Iron Tail!"

The two attacks cancelled out, and they both leaped back until Blastoise fell. Cheren was silent.

"Blastoise, return. Well done, Ash. You've impressed me. But it's time for my second Pokemon. Quagsire, come out!"

A Quagsire appeared, and joyfully danced at its spot. Pikachu was ready to continue, but Ash picked up Pikachu.

"Sorry, Pikachu. This Pokemon is part Ground-type, remember? If you use any of your attacks, it won't be that effective."

Ash placed a disappointed Pikachu down, and grabbed a PokeBall.

"Noivern, I choose you!"

Noivern appeared and stared at the jolly Quagsire, who was still dancing.

"Interesting choice. I look forward to see how your Noivern can beat my Quagsire. Let's begin."

"Noivern, Boomburst!"

An explosive noise echoed inside the entire room, causing Cheren to cover his ears, and causing Quagsire to get slammed into the wall. Quagsire got up, this time, extremely angry.

"You see, my Quagsire hates it when people interrupt its dancing, much like Mr. Mime and the interruption of its miming. Quagsire, use Rock Slide!"

Stones appeared above Noivern and were heading towards it fast. Noivern didn't hesitate to weave in and out of the falling rocks. Noivern then headed straight for Quagsire.

"Perfect! Noivern, Dragon Pulse!"

"Perfect indeed! Quagsire, Slam!"

Quagsire dodged the attack by jumping into the air, and landing on Noivern, who went crashing to the ground.

"Finish this with Stone Edge!"

"Noivern, quick! Get up!"

However, it was too late. The sharpened stones came up from below and sent Noivern flying. Noivern fainted. Quagsire began to dance again.

"Noivern, return. Hawlucha, I choose you!"

The luchador-like Pokemon appeared in front of Quagsire and began to pose.

"Interesting...your call, Ash!"

"Hawlucha, High Jump Kick!"

With amazing speed, Hawlucha landed the move that inflicted incredible damage on Quagsire.

"You've trained this Pokemon well...however, so have I. Quagsire! Use Yawn!"

Quagsire released a large Yawn, which made Hawlucha stumble about to avoid falling asleep.

"We have to finish this quick! Hawlucha! Flying Press!"

Hawlucha took to the skies and was able to land the Flying Press. However, Quagsire held on. Hawlucha fell asleep.

"Now that your Pokemon has landed, I am free to use any move I please. Quagsire, Rock Slide."

Rocks landed on Hawlucha, causing severe damage.

"HAWLUCHA, WAKE UP! COME ON!"

No response.

"Stone Edge, Quagsire."

Stones headed straight for Hawlucha, who had just woken up.

"Yes! Jump, and land straight on the rocks!"

Hawlucha jumped before the jagged stones came up, and he ran on the tips.

"Now! High Jump Kick!"

The attack landed and knocked out Cheren's second Pokemon.

"Great job, Ash. Now, prepare to face my third Pokemon."

"Hawlucha, return."

"Now, Ludicolo! I choose you!"

Cheren's Ludicolo also began to dance when it appeared.

"OK, Pikachu, you can come out now!"

Pikachu ran back in.

"This shouldn't take long. Ludicolo, Ice Beam."

"Counter with Thunderbolt!"

The Ice Beam was successfully countered by the Thunderbolt.

"Ludicolo, Focus Blast."

"Electro Ball!"

The two attacks landed, and both fainted.

"Ludicolo, return."

"Pikachu, return."

"I have one Pokemon left. He is also my strongest Pokemon. Now, go, Gyarados!"

"Charizard! I choose you!"

"I look forward to seeing how you will win this one, Ash. Now, Gyarados, strengthen our bond even more, and Mega Evolve!"

Undergoing a transformation, Gyarados emerged with a new appearance. Charizard stared his opponent down.

"All right, Charizard, we can do this! Use Blast Burn!"

"Hydro Pump!"

Gyarados took to the skies and aimed a Hydro Pump at Charizard. They both received an attack, Charizard receiving the most damage.

"Water Veil, Gyarados!"

 _Charizard will get hurt with that Water Veil. I got it!_

"Charizard, Solar Beam!"

Charizard charged a Solar Beam, and again, Gyarados took to the skies.

"Oh no, you don't! Now, Gyarados Fire Blast!"

"Dodge, Charizard! Keep charging it up!"

Gyarados missed the Fire Blast, and Charizard continued to charge the Solar Beam.

"Gyarados, extinguish the Solar Beam with Flamethrower!"

Gyarados used Flamethrower and chased his opponent. However, Charizard's Solar Beam was already charged.

"Fire, Charizard!"

Charizard not only broke the Water Veil, but landed a super effective hit on Gyarados. He still stood, though.

"Finish this with Seismic Toss!"

Charizard grabbed Gyarados and rotated him twice before slamming him on the ground. Gyarados fainted.

"You did it, Charizard! Great job!"

"Gyarados, return. It seems I still have much to learn. However, you still won, so move on to the next challenge. I'll tell Bianca you said hi."

"Thanks!"

"Congratulations, Ash!"

Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie ran up to Ash.

"That was a fantastic battle! I was on the edge of my seat!" Clemont said.

"Thank you!"

They rode the elevator down, and the Water door closed.

"Where to next?"

"Why don't you try the purple room?" Bonnie suggested.

"Ok, then!"

They entered the purple room and rode the elevator to the battlefield. Ash gasped when he saw who his opponent was.

"Welcome, challenger! I am-ASH?!"

"IRIS?!"

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**


	8. Little Kid No More

**On to Iris, the Unova Dragon master.**

"Ash? You've made it all the way to the Elite Four? Looks like you're not such a little kid after all..."

"I thought you were in Unova to become a dragon master!"

"I take it back. You're still a little kid."

"WHAT?!"

"Obviously, I'm a dragon master! I'm the Dragon-type Elite Four member!"

Serena stepped in.

"Hey! You can't talk to Ash like that! You don't know what he's been through."

"And who are you? Are you his girlfriend?"

Serena blushed and was about to make a rebuttal, but Ash stepped back in.

"Yes! Yes, she is! Jealous?"

"Of you? No way! I do have to admit, you're little kid meter just went down a lot."

"Why do you keep calling me a little kid, anyway?"

"Because you're oblivious to the obvious!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Prove it in our battle!"

"I'll show you!"

The two went to their respective sides of the battlefield.

"DRAGONITE, I CHOOSE YOU!"

"CHARIZARD, I CHOOSE YOU!"

The sight of each other sparked the two Pokemon's rivalry once again.

"Little kids first!"

"I'M NOT A KID! CHARIZARD, DRAGON TAIL!"

"DODGE, AND USE THUNDER!"

The two Pokemon took to the skies, and chased one another across the battlefield until Charizard's attack hit its mark. Dragonite fell to the ground.

"Told you, Ash!"

"Just like a little kid to gloat after landing a hit..."

"CUT THAT OUT! CHARIZARD! SEISMIC TOSS!"

Charizard picked up Dragonite and began it's Seismic Toss.

"You just made another mistake, Ash! Dragonite, Thunder!"

"Hang in there, Charizard!"

As Charizard began to spin Dragonite in the air, Dragonite used its Thunder attack to do a lot of damage ti a flying type like Charizard. However, Charizard landed the Seismic toss. Both Pokemon were close to fainting.

"It's a close game, Ash!"

"Yeah, let's finish this!"

"DRAGONITE, HYPER BEAM!"

"CHARIZARD, FLY TO DODGE IT!"

Dragonite aimed a Hyper Beam at a flying Charizard, but missed. Dragonite couldn't move.

"Dragonite, what's wrong?!"

"Hey, Iris, is it like a little kid to make a good strategy?"

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?"

"Remember, Dragon Master? Hyper Beam is a move that causes the user to recharge after usage! In other words, you just wasted a turn!"

"NO!"

"CHARIZARD, DRAGON TAIL!"

Since Dragonite was completely immobilized, the Dragon Tail not only landed, but it also inflicted a critical hit on Dragonite. Dragonite fainted.

"Dragonite, return. I hope you're ready for my next Pokemon, Ash!"

"Of course I am!"

"Do you remember the Village of Dragons, Ash?"

"How could I not? But what does that have to do with this battle?"

"Remember the Pokemon we had to calm down?"

Ash then remembered the monster they had to calm from it's rage.

"Wait! You caught-"

"That's right! HYDREIGON, I CHOOSE YOU!"

The tri-headed dragon floated in front of Charizard, ready for battle.

"CHARIZARD, RETURN! HAWLUCHA, I CHOOSE YOU!"

"That's a new one on me! Your call, Ash!"

"Hawlucha! This is your ring for today! Hydreigon isn't a pushover! So keep calm, and be ready to strike! Jump onto Hydreigon!"

"That won't work! Use Tri-Attack into the sky!"

As Hawlucha aimed for Hydreigon's back, he got hit with a Tri-Attack.

"Soar, Hydreigon!"

Hydreigon flew around the battlefield, watching its opponent get up.

"Now, use Dragon Pulse!"

"CUT RIGHT THROUGH THAT WITH X-SCISSOR!"

The Dragon Pulse hit X-Scissor, but, like with Valerie's Spritzee, he cut through, and landed huge damage on the Hydreigon. It staggered through the sky.

"HYDREIGON, TRI-ATTACK!"

"HIGH JUMP KICK!"

Again, Hydreigon launched a Tri-Attack, but Hawlucha cut through and landed his attack. Hydreigon fainted.

"Hydreigon, return!"

"Hawlucha, return!"

"How is it that you still have all of your Pokemon left while I have two?"

"I trained them well."

"Well, so have I. KINGDRA, LET'S GO!"

"NOIVERN, I CHOOSE YOU!"

"This time, Iris, you have the honor of moving first."

"Fine! KINGDRA! BUBBLE BEAM!"

"Noivern! Hold your ground!"

Noivern took the attacks, except for it did little damage.

"Did you just catch Kingdra? It looks a little inexperienced..."

"DON'T JUDGE KINGDRA! USE HYDRO PUMP!"

"Noivern, use Dragon Rage!"

Both attacks collided and both Pokemon still stood.

"Noivern, Dragon Rage again!"

"HYPER BEAM! OH WAIT!"

It was too late. Noivern unleashed Dragon Rage just as Kingdra aimed Hyper Beam. Both attacks hit. Again, both Pokemon still stood, but were running out of energy.

"It looks like this is over! Remember what I-"

"JUST SHUT UP AND ATTACK!"

"Suit yourself! NOIVERN, DRACO METEOR!"

The monstrous boulders crushed Kingdra and knocked it out. Iris was fuming at her own stupidity while Ash tried not to laugh at it. Iris calmed down.

"I want to knock out, at least, ONE of your Pokemon! Time to switch into my partner, Haxorus!"

"Noivern, return! Pikachu, I choose you!"

Pikachu waved at the Haxorus, who didn't return it.

"Our emotions are completely in sync. When I'm upset, he's upset, and vice versa. That's why Haxorus isn't returning Pikachu's friendly gesture."

"Ok. PIKACHU! THUNDERBOLT!"

"Haxorus, use Outrage!"

Haxorus got hit with Pikachu's attack but charged right through to produce an Outrage on Pikachu.

"Pikachu, Iron Tail!"

"DRAGON CLAW!"

They canceled out.

"Dragon Sneeze! I mean rage!"

"Electro Ball!"

Pikachu dodged the attack and landed his, due to being faster than Haxorus.

"Let's finish this already! USE GUILLOTINE!"

"THUNDERBOLT!"

Guillotine missed, and Pikachu circled around Haxorus. Finally, Haxorus got dizzy and Pikachu produced a battle-ending Thunderbolt. Haxorus fainted.

"Haxorus, return."

"Good job, Pikachu!"

"I guess you're not a little kid after all. I actually became the champion of Unova. I hope I can be friends with a champion too!"

"Thanks! Wait, what?!"

"Beat the Unova elite four, and I'll explain it. Now, go on! You're halfway there!"

They exited the Dragon room, and that door closed.

"OK, Clemont. Where to?"

"Let's try fire!"

"All right! Greninja would work well here!"

They took the elevator to the fire chamber, and met the opponent. Ash gasped once again.

"Oh, hello, Ash! It's been a while! I see you've brought friends."

Bonnie grabbed Clemont's hand, and Serena gulped.

"I am N, the Fire-type Elite Four member."

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**


	9. Ideals

**Here comes N! This should be the last Unova Elite four member.**

"N! What are you doing here?!"

"After I left you and caught Reshiram, he told me that I was needed elsewhere. Apparently, that elsewhere was here."

"I thought you didn't like battling!"

"I don't. I hope this battle will get me and Reshiram closer than ever. Closer than when we took over Unova."

Bonnie tugged on her brother's hand.

"Who's Reshiram?"

Serena looked at Clemont.

"I have to admit, I'm a little curious on who Reshiram is, too."

"Reshiram is one of the legendary Pokemon in the Unova region. Its counterpart is Zekrom."

"What are your names?" N asked.

"My name is Clemont, this is my sister Bonnie." Clemont introduced.

"My name is Serena!"

"Ah, yes. Reshiram told me about you. You are Ash's girlfriend, are you not?"

Serena blushed again, but this time, it was a blush of pride. She was proud to be Ash's girlfriend now.

"Yes, she is." Ash confirmed, once again.

"I'm happy for you. However, the joy that's in my heart for you does not mean I will let you get to the champion. Of course, you understand."

"I wouldn't have it any other way! Let's do this!"

N smiled.

"I agree. Let us see if your ideals are still the same as when I left you. Magmortar, emerge!"

"Greninja! Let's go!"

The ninja-frog Pokemon met the blast Pokemon and was ready as ever.

"Well, Ash. The first move is in your hands."

"Greninja! Hydro Pump!"

"Counter with Thunderbolt."

Greninja was hit with the Thunderbolt, as Water was weak against Electric-types.

"Keep holding on, Greninja! Spin and use Hydro Pump!"

Greninja used Hydro Pump and spun to make a water tornado. N looked on in amazement.

"Very impressive. Magmortar, use Flamethrower and spin to counter Greninja!"

Magmortar used Flamethrower and spun to produce a similar tornado, just with fire. The two elements clashed until Greninja stood victorious, as Magmortar had been hit, and was struggling to get up.

"It seems Magmortar is close to its breaking point. Thunderbolt, please."

"Dodge and use one more Hydro Pump, Greninja!"

Since Greninja out speeds Magmortar, the ninja-like Pokemon dodged the attack with ease and landed a Hydro Pump. Magmortar fainted.

"Thank you for your assistance, Magmortar. I sense a deep connection between you and your Greninja. It's quite astounding."

"Thank you! You wouldn't believe what we had just gone through."

"Actually, I do."

"You knew that already too?"

"No. I watched the news. Let's proceed."

"Ok, then! Greninja, stay in!"

"All right! Ninetales, emerge!"

Ninetales stepped on the battlefield with style and stared at her opponent.

"Wow, a Ninetales!" Ash exclaimed.

"You see, Ninetales combines her elegance and grace with strength. As a result, it radiates a majestic manner."

Ninetales looked back at N and howled.

"Ninetales hopes for a good match. I hope you give her one. Like before, the first move is yours."

"Let's finish this quick! HYDRO PUMP!"

"Ninetales, dodge and use Solar Beam!"

The Hydro Pump missed and Ninetales began to charge Solar Beam.

"Greninja! We have to take Ninetales out before you get hit by Solar Beam! Use Water Shuriken!"

"Use Ember, Ninetales!"

The two attacks resulted in a cloud of steam surrounding the battlefield.

"The stage is set, Ash."

"Greninja! Stay calm! Imagine where Ninetales is coming from!"

"Now, Ninetales!"

The Solar Beam that Ninetales charged scored a direct hit, but it didn't knock Greninja out.

"Stay strong, Greninja! Use Hydro Pump and spin again to clear the fog!"

"Energy Ball, Ninetales!"

Hydro Pump cleared the smoke, and aimed straight for Ninetales, but Ninetales jumped up and shot an Energy Ball straight down the tornado towards Greninja.

"DODGE!"

The Hydro Pump evaded the Energy Ball and slammed straight into Ninetales.

"Well done, Ash. You've grown quite strong. Ninetales is weakened, but not out. Ninetales, use Solar Beam!"

"USE ICE BEAM ON THE BATTLEFIELD!"

Ninetales charged Solar Beam while Greninja froze the battlefield.

"N! What good is that Solar Beam if you can't move fast enough to catch Greninja!"

"I see...Ninetales, use Flamethrower on the battlefield!"

"Counter with Hydro Pump!"

The water extinguished the flames, leaving the battlefield still frozen.

"One more Hydro Pump!"

The Hydro Pump slammed Ninetales into the wall. Ninetales fainted.

"Ninetales, thank you. Thirdly, Emboar!"

"Greninja, return! NOIVERN, LET'S GO!"

"Emboar, Focus Punch!"

"Noivern, Dragon Rush!"

Already, the two attacks hit each other with so much power, that there was little energy left in either of them.

"The battle's almost over already?"

"You see, I haven't trained Emboar that much. I've been working on our bond, so he's a little inexperienced."

"That's strange...Noivern! Dragon Pulse!"

"Flamethrower!"

Emboar's attack missed but Noivern's hit. Emboar fainted.

"Impressive. Our battle nears its end. But I have one Pokemon left. Reshiram! I choose you!"

"Greninja, you're back in. ICE BEAM!"

"Fusion Flame."

The Ice Beam was no match for the Fusion Flame, but Greninja wasn't hit.

"Run, Greninja!"

"Dragon Pulse."

Greninja's speed allowed him to avoid the attack.

"Jump on Reshiram!"

With a huge leap, Greninja mounted Reshiram.

"HYDRO PUMP!"

Greninja hit a point-blank Hydro Pump, leaving Reshiram low on energy.

"SHAKE HIM OFF, RESHIRAM!"

"HOLD ON AND USE ICE BEAM TO FINISH THIS!"

Reshiram tried to shake off Greninja, but its grip was too strong. Greninja landed a successful hit with Ice Beam. Reshiram fainted.

"MY FRIEND!" N cried.

"Good job, Greninja!" Ash said happily.

"Well. It seems that your ideals haven't changed a bit. You still care about your friends. I can tell through how much your Pokemon trust you."

"Thanks, N. It was good to see you again."

N smiled.

"You have one last test to pass before you get to the champion. I wish you luck."

Ash and his friends went back down the elevator and the Fire room closed.

"Well, we have one room left." Ash said.

"That's right." Clemont said.

The four went inside the Steel-type chamber and rode the elevator to the top. There, a familiar sight awaited him. This time, Serena gasped.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Ash, Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont. I was wondering when you'd show."

Ash stared on in horror as he stared at Miette.

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**


	10. Miette's Revenge

**Pokemon is not owned by me. Now, on to chapter 10!**

"Miette?! What are you doing here?"

Miette smiled.

"Oh, Ash. You're as dumb as ever! You should know what I'm doing here."

"I mean-I know you're an Elite Four member but how did you get here?"

"Isn't it obvious? After you decided to be with Serena instead of me, I spent all my time trying to get better than you. I mastered not only my Pokemon's moves but also how they could be used with their physical attributes."

Ash stayed silent. Serena had an angry glare on her face.

"Why do you look so upset, Serena? You don't want to see your boyfriend get hurt? Because whether you like it or not, he will end up getting hurt!"

"Why would you do that to him? He didn't do anything to you!"

This time, Miette had an angry glare.

"Of course he did! He chose you, which, in my opinion, was the biggest mistake he's ever made."

"I chose Serena because even when she gets upset, she turns her anger into motivation, she turns her sadness into joy, and can't help supporting me, no matter what I do. And even better, she knows I'd be willing to do the same. She's a better girlfriend than you ever were!"

Miette gritted her teeth at seeing Ash defend Serena, to which Serena smiled.

"Don't think that you've won, Serena. Even if Ash chose you, I'm going to keep him from getting to the Champion."

"Never! I've heard enough of that over the past three days."

"How about we make a deal?"

Serena stepped in.

"What deal?!"

"Hey, Serena! This doesn't involve you! This is between me and Ash." Miette snapped.

"Hey! Don't talk to her like that!" Ash said.

"Why don't you make me, Ash? You don't have any control over how I speak to her, now do I?"

Ash stayed silent.

"I thought so. Now, back to our deal: if I win this battle, you break up with Serena. I didn't say to date me. I just want you to break up with Serena."

"And if I win?"

"If you win, you can stay with Serena for all I care."

"Deal!"

Miette smiled.

"Ash, wait! Are you sure you want to do this?" Serena asked.

"I really don't. I just don't want to break up with you."

"Well...good luck!"

"Are you ready, Ash?"

"Ready!"

"Well, then! WEAVILE, I CHOOSE YOU!"

Weavile emerged and searched for its opponent. Ash looked at Miette in confusion.

"Wait! I thought you were going to use STEEL types! That's an Ice/Dark!"

"I don't care. This one's personal..."

"FINE! CHARIZARD, I CHOOSE YOU!"

Charizard hovered in the air, looking at the Weavile who had noticed him and was sharpening its claws.

"Miette! You can go first."

"Being a gentleman won't save you! Weavile ground Charizard with Icy Wind!"

"Flamethrower!"

Charizard's attack not only countered the Icy Wind but also hit Weavile.

"Charizard, don't let up! Use Seismic Toss!"

Charizard swooped down and grabbed Weavile before taking it into the air and circling it.

"Ice Beam!"

Weavile landed the Ice Beam, stopping the Seismic Toss and sending both Weavile and Charizard hurtling towards the ground. Miette smirked.

"Charizard, land on Weavile!"

"WHAT?!"

The large iceberg that almost completely froze Charizard slammed on Weavile. The force from the landing also freed Charizard. Weavile struggled to get up.

"CHARIZARD, FINISH WITH FLAMETHROWER!"

"NO! WEAVILE, DODGE!"

It was too late. The Flamethrower landed and knocked out Weavile.

"Weavile, return," Miette grumbled.

"Who's next, Miette?"

"You seem pretty confident. Allow me to shatter that confidence. Hypno, I choose you!"

"Return, Charizard! Greninja, I choose you!"

Greninja was fired up, and ready to face the Hypno, who was twirling its watch.

"You can go first this time, Ash!"

"Greninja, Feint Attack!"

"DODGE!"

Greninja slowly walked up to Hypno and landed the attack.

"How did you land that?! Hypno could have dodged!"

"Last time I checked, Feint Attack never misses..." Ash explained.

"AAAHHH! Hypno, use Dazzling Gleam!"

"Counter with Hydro Pump!"

Both attacks landed, but Greninja was fine, although Fairy-type moves like Dazzling Gleam are super-effective over Dark types like Greninja.

"I could've sworn that Dazzling Gleam hit Greninja! That should be super-effective!"

"Greninja has Protean, which changes its type to the type of the move it uses. I used Hydro Pump, thus changing its type solely to water. Thus, Dazzling Gleam would only do normal damage. GRENINJA, TWO FEINT ATTACKS!"

Greninja successfully landed both attacks, much to Miette's anger. Hypno dropped its watch and fainted.

"HYPNO, RETURN," Miette said with clenched teeth.

"Getting upset?" Ash said with a smile.

"SHUT UP! DRUDDIGON, LET'S GO!"

"Greninja, stay in."

Ash noticed that instead of red and blue, this Druddigon was green and orange.

"Wow, you caught a shiny Druddigon! Congratulations!"

"Finally, SOMEONE noticed! Dragon Pulse!"

"Use Ice Beam on the ground, Greninja!"

Dragon Pulse hit Greninja, but thanks to the Protean, Greninja's type changed to Ice, thus lessening the damage of the Dragon-type attack.

"OOHH, I HATE THAT PROTEAN!"

"Now, Greninja, use Ice Beam on Druddigon!"

"Dodge, Druddigon!"

The Druddigon tried to dodge, but thanks to the Ice Beam, it slipped on the ice. Meanwhile, Greninja landed Ice Beam.

"Druddigon, Dragon Pulse!"

"Dodge!"

The ice increased Greninja's speed, and allowed him to slide across the battlefield with ease.

"Ice Beam!"

Since Greninja outsped Druddigon, the Ice Beam landed and knocked out Druddigon, making the score 3-0.

"Why haven't any of your Pokemon been knocked out?"

Ash stayed silent.

"I only have one Pokemon left. GARDEVOIR, I CHOOSE YOU!"

"Stay in, Greninja."

"Why haven't you switched out Greninja?"

"He's strong. He knows how to persevere."

"Suit yourself. GARDEVOIR, ACCESS YOUR TRUE POWER, AND MEGA EVOLVE!"

To Ash's shock, Gardevoir Mega-Evolved right before his eyes. However, Greninja started to shine as well, and with a blast of water, turned into Ash-Greninja.

"I'm pretty sure that Greninja doesn't Mega-Evolve. Why does it look like that?"

"I really don't know. It's something that's only been occuring in the heat of battle. I've really got to ask Nurse Joy about it."

"Suit yourself! GARDEVOIR, MOONBLAST!"

"Feint Attack!"

Greninja dodged the Moonblast and landed the Feint Attack.

"Here, we can use the Protean to our advantage, Gardevoir!"

"Not quite! Although Dark is weak against Fairy, it is strong against Psychic, which is another type Gardevoir has." Ash pointed out.

"HA! Dazzling Gleam!"

"Hydro Pump!"

Both moves resulted in a cloud of smoke.

"Greninja, spin and use Hydro Pump on Gardevoir!"

Greninja used the same technique he used against N's Pokemon on Gardevoir.

"Dodge!"

The Gardevoir dodged the attack, but Ash was still ready.

"Greninja, keep up that Hydro Pump and use Double Team!"

Suddenly, there were multiple tornadoes surrounding Gardevoir. Miette looked confused.

"Gardevoir, Dazzling Gleam!"

The Dazzling Gleam got rid of the copies, but Gardevoir still got hit by the real Greninja.

"WAY TO GO, GRENINJA!"

"ASH, YOU'RE TESTING MY PATIENCE!"

Gardevoir struggled to get up but Greninja was ready to continue.

"Greninja, Hydro Pump!"

The Hydro Pump landed and Gardevoir went flying.

"Bring Gardevoir down with Feint Attack!"

"GARDEVOIR, LOOK OUT!"

Greninja jumped and landed a devestating Feint Attack to send Gardevoir crashing to the ground. Gardevoir reverted back to it's original form and fainted. Greninja reverted back as well, and gave Ash a hug, to which Ash returned.

"Gardevoir, return."

Ash walked to Miette and offered her a handshake, but she refused.

"Fine, your loss. Keep Serena. You're making a huge mistake."

"The only mistake I ever made was actually thinking you cared about me instead of making Serena jealous."

Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont walked down from the stands towards Ash and Miette.

"Just get out of here. I hope the champion destroys you. Also! You do realize that if you lose against the champion, you have to face the Elite Four again, right?"

"No. But now I know."

The four rode down the elevator and the Steel-type chamber closed. The gateway to the champion's room then opened. Inside, an elevator awaited them that took them to the battlefield.

"All right, let's go!"

"Ash, wait."

Serena grabbed his hand, causing Ash to stop and look at her. Bonnie and Clemont stopped running too.

"What's up?"

"I just wanted to say thank you for defending me earlier...it was really sweet of you."

Ash smiled and was about to respond, but Serena had drawn him in for a kiss that the two lovingly shared. The two blushed and, hand in hand, walked towards the elevator to the champion's battlefield. The battlefield was beautiful; there were windows everywhere with Pokemon curtains, the ground was in a circular shape and decorated with a rainbow of colors, with all of the Pokemon types on the boundaries of the circle. In the center was a boy wearing a blue sweatshirt with skinny jeans to match. He donned a red cap with glasses, and had a black shoulder bag on. Ash stood ready as the boy turned around. Serena gasped. The boy smiled.

"Hello, Challenger. My name is Calem, but you can call me X."

 **TO BE CONTINUED...**


	11. Vs Champion CalemX

**Next chapter! I hope you're happy!**

 ***Disclaimer* I don't own Pokemon**

"X? That sounds like the name of a video game..." Bonnie said.

"Why, hello, Serena! Nice to see you again!"

Dumbfounded, Serena remembered her other childhood friend.

"Again?" Ash asked.

"This must be the challenger. You see, I met Serena in Pokemon summer camp. As soon as we were old enough to get our own Pokemon, we met again in Aquacorde Town. I got my starter at the same time she did, and we occasionally battled. I won every time! Eventually, I got to the league, beat Diantha, and here I am!"

"Wow! It's nice to meet you!" Ash said with a smile.

"So, Serena, I'm guessing that you and him are, you know, boyfriend and girlfriend now?"

"Yeah! How did you know?"

"Instincts. I'm actually dating Shauna, you know. It all started back on a night in Parfum Palace-"

"Can we save the stories for later? I'm not trying to be mean, but, I'm sure we have plenty of time to catch up after the battle."

"You're right. Are you ready, Ash?"

"I'm ready!"

"All of your training has been leading up to this moment. Also, be warned! If you lose, you-"

"I know, I have to beat the Elite Four again."

Calem smiled.

"You look like a nice trainer. If you win...never mind. I'll show you later."

"Let's do this! Hawlucha, I choose you!"

"All right! A Hawlucha isn't bad! But in that case, GOLURK, LET'S GO!"

The wrestling Pokemon and the automaton Pokemon stood ready for battle.

"This is it, Hawlucha! The final battle! I hope you're ready!"

"Come on, Golurk! Let's show them a good time!"

The two Pokemon nodded in approval.

"HAWLUCHA! HIGH JUMP KICK!"

"Stand your ground, Golurk!

The High Jump Kick landed, but Golurk stood unaffected.

"Hold him, Golurk!"

With that, Hawlucha was trapped in Golurk's clutches.

"Thunderbolt!"

Golurk landed a point-blank Thunderbolt and dealt tremendous damage on the Hawlucha.

"Hawlucha, hang in there, and use Flying Press to free yourself!"

Hawlucha wiggled and squirmed as he executed the move, and he was freed and soaring.

"Well done, Ash! Nice use of strategy and move-use!"

"Thanks, but we're not done, yet! Hawlucha, let's show them the result of our special training! USE GRASS KNOT!"

Hawlucha lifted his arms and tall grass appeared all over the battlefield. Once they got to Golurk, they tripped it, performing more damage than the Thunderbolt.

"I didn't know Hawlucha could use that move! You surprised me already!"

"That's not all! I also know that Golurk can fly!"

"How did you know that?"

"I'll tell you about it sometime. Hawlucha, take to the skies!"

"If you want an aerial battle, you've got it! Golurk, you fly too!"

The two Pokemon floated in the air as they awaited their trainer's instruction. Over in the stands, Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont gasped.

"Perfect. The stage is set, Hawlucha! Fly higher!"

"Go after him, Golurk!"

Golurk chased Hawlucha towards the ceiling of the cathedral.

"Great! Now use Rock Slide, Hawlucha!"

"What?!"

Rocks came falling towards Golurk and landed a direct hit. Golurk crashed to the ground.

"Excellent. Golurk, use Flash Cannon!"

"Fly and use Grass Knot!"

"You fly too, Golurk!"

Golurk flew again and aimed a Flash Cannon straight at Hawlucha, but missed. Hawlucha landed and Golurk did the same.

"You're in quite a situation here, Ash! Rock Slide won't do that much unless Golurk is in the air, Fighting-Type moves won't work against Ghost-types like Golurk, Grass Knot probably won't work again, and honestly, Flying Press won't do much!"

With that last part, Ash's eyes lit up.

"You're right! Flying Press won't do much! Hawlucha, keep using Flying Press, and when you hit Golurk, fly!"

"What?"

Hawlucha landed Flying Press, and every time it hit Golurk, he flew before Golurk could retaliate.

"That's a strange strategy! Golurk, grab him when he charges!"

"Keep going, Hawlucha! Don't worry!"

The next Flying Press had hit, but Hawlucha had been captured again.

"NOW, HAWLUCHA, GRASS KNOT!"

The strands of grass appeared again and sent Golurk and Hawlucha to the ground. Golurk fainted.

"Golurk return. Wow, Ash! What exactly was your strategy there?"

"I knew that if I used Flying Press over and over, you would eventually catch Hawlucha. In addition, since Flying Press wouldn't do much on Ground, it would do small bits of damage. Anyway, when you actually caught him, I had Hawlucha use Grass Knot to trip Golurk since Grass is super effective against Ground."

"Fantastic! What an amazing strategy!"

"Thanks, Calem."

"However, you won't be so lucky this time. GOODRA, I CHOOSE YOU!"

"Hawlucha, return! Greninja, I choose you!"

"A Greninja, huh? All right, then! You can move first!"

"Greninja, Ice Beam!"

"Goodra, Flamethrower!"

Greninja aimed an Ice Beam, but Goodra had disintegrated the Ice Beam and dealt damage to Greninja.

"I know that Protean is Greninja's hidden ability. So, if it used and Ice attack, I can not only avoid it with Flamethrower, I can also hurt Greninja!"

"Nice strategy!"

"You're not the only one who makes a decent strategy."

"All right, then! Greninja, use Ice Beam again!"

"Flamethrower again!"

"Run, Greninja!"

Greninja ran from the coming Flamethrower, and landed a super-effective Ice Beam on Goodra.

"Hmm...OK. Goodra, use Dragon Tail!"

"HYDRO PUMP!"

Instinctively, Greninja formed a Hydro Pump tornado and successfully countered the Dragon Tail.

"Nope! Goodra! Thunder inside that tornado!"

"Form an Ice Beam tornado!"

Suddenly, the Water tornado turned into an Ice Tornado, and headed straight for Goodra. The Thunder hit, but the Ice tornado also hit Goodra. Goodra fainted.

"I've never seen an elemental tornado before. Impressive."

"Thanks! We figured it out during our battle with N."

"The creepy guy? He looks like he lived in a castle."

"Maybe. But let's continue. All right! Gastrodon, let's go!"

The slug-like Pokemon appeared and started to move around the battlefield.

"Greninja, return! Noivern, I choose you!"

Noivern hovered in the air as it stared at its opponent.

"I'm surprised you haven't lost any of your Pokemon yet. Let's change that. Gastrodon, Rock Tomb!"

"Noivern, break the rocks with Dragon Pulse!"

Noivern weaved in and out of the falling rocks and destroyed them with Dragon Pulse.

"Great! Now, Gastrodon, use Body Slam."

Suddenly, with a tremendous jump, Gastrodon jumped and landed on Noivern, sending it to the floor. Noivern struggled, but it was to no avail. Gastrodon had pinned Noivern.

"It's no use to get out of that Body Slam, Ash. Gastrodon has Sticky Hold, so it won't be easy to escape.

"Maybe we don't have to escape! Noivern, SOLAR BEAM!"

Noivern began to charge power for the Solar Beam, but Gastrodon was ready.

"Ice Beam, Gastrodon!"

Noivern was hit with the Ice Beam, however, he wasn't frozen.

Ash thought about what to do in a situation like this. He then remembered he'd been in a similar situation before.

 _"Wait! Paul had a Gastrodon! He did the exact same thing with Staraptor! Staraptor was able to break free by using a sand attack, but I don't think Noivern knows any sand attacks...I've got it!"_

"Noivern, use all your strength to fly!"

"Ash! Gastrodon has sticky hold, remember?"

"COME ON, YOU CAN DO IT, NOIVERN!"

Noivern struggled but he took to the skies with a frantic Gastrodon.

"But-how?"

"I know that we can't escape from Sticky Hold. But I DO know that even if we can't get Gastrodon off, we can just make him get off. NOIVERN, FLY AS FAST AS YOU CAN!"

Noivern started to increase its speed. The Gastrodon's grip was loosening.

"GASTRODON! ROCK TOMB!"

"FLY FASTER AND DODGE!"

The rocks fell, but Noivern's speed enabled him to dodge all of them. In addition, Gastrodon had freed Noivern and was falling towards the ground.

"NO, GASTRODON!"

"USE THAT SOLAR BEAM!"

With a burst of light, Noivern released the Solar Beam toward the falling Gastrodon, and had landed a successful hit. Gastrodon was severe;y damaged, but Ash wasn't done yet.

"DRAGON PULSE!"

The struggling Gastrodon wasn't given a chance to get up before he was hit with a Dragon Pulse. Gastrodon fainted.

"Gastrodon, return. You're halfway there. I'm surprised at your skill. My fourth Pokemon is Kingdra!"

The seahorse Pokemon took the battlefield with a look of determination on his face.

"Noivern, return. Pikachu, it's your turn!"

The Electric Mouse Pokemon ran onto the battlefield, returning Kingdra's glare.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"DODGE AND USE RAIN DANCE!"

The Thunderbolt missed and a rainstorm began.

"All right, Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"

Pikachu landed the Quick Attack, but Kingdra stood unfazed.

"HYDRO PUMP!"

A shot of water went towards Pikachu.

"Dodge, and use Thunderbolt on the battlefield!"

The Hydro Pump missed and Pikachu used Thunderbolt on the battlefield, resulting in a cloud of smoke on the battlefield.

"Where's Pikachu? Keep your eyes peeled, Kingdra!" Calem said with a concerned attitude.

Meanwhile, Ash prepared to execute a strategy he had used in Unova.

"Ready, Pikachu?"

The Pokemon nodded in approval. A hole had formed in the smoke, and Kingdra and Pikachu saw each other.

"Kingdra, Hyper Beam!"

"Jump and use Thunderbolt!"

The Hyper Beam had landed, but the force from the attack was enough to send Pikachu flying. Pikachu executed and landed the Thunderbolt. Pikachu struggled, but he got up and prepared to continue.

"Oh no..." Calem said, realizing his mistake. Ash realized it too.

"PIKACHU, FINISH THIS WITH THUNDERBOLT!"

Pikachu easily hit Kingdra with the attack. The rain stopped. Kingdra fainted.

"Kingdra, return. I'm running out of options. LET'S GO, METAGROSS!"

"Pikachu, return! Charizard, let's go!"

The two Pokemon both had a serious gaze on their face. Ash noticed that the Metagross was wearing a Key Stone.

"I'm guessing you're going to mega-evolve Metagross."

"No. I'm saving that for later. METAGROSS, USE METEOR MASH!"

Metagross charged towards Charizard, preparing to use all four of its arms.

"TAKE IT, CHARIZARD!"

Charizard was hit with the attack with astounding force, and was slammed into the wall.

"SEISMIC TOSS!"

Charizard grabbed Metagross and prepared to slam it on the ground.

 _"Fighting isn't effective against Psychic!"_ Ash thought.

"Charizard, while you're spinning, use Flamethrower!"

The circle Charizard was spinning Metagross in now became a circle of fire. Charizard slammed Metagross on the ground, but Metagross wasn't finished.

"Stay ready, Charizard!"

"Metagross, use Meteor Mash again, but attack from behind!"

"Charizard, use Flamethrower in a spin!"

Flamethrower was used to form a fiery tornado, and much to Calem's disappointment, Metagross used Meteor Mash right into the tornado.

"NO!"

Metagross fell to the ground, but Charizard wasn't done.

"NOW, CHARIZARD, FLAMING SEISMIC TOSS!"

Charizard landed a fiery Seismic Toss, and left Metagross on the ground. Metagross fainted.

"Metagross, return. I think I'm actually starting to feel frustrated now."

Ash said nothing. He knew he only had one more Pokemon left before he becomes the new champion.

"My final Pokemon: Sceptile!"

Sceptile faced down the Charizard who was still ready to proceed. This Sceptile was also wearing a Key Stone.

"Sceptile, respond to my heart and MEGA EVOLVE!"

Sceptile underwent a quick transformation to become Mega Sceptile. Ash could feel how powerful it had just become. Yet, he still wasn't worried.

"Charizard, thank you. But I know who's going to finish the job."

Ash returned Charizard to its PokeBall.

"GRENINJA! I CHOOSE YOU!"

Calem laughed.

"This is it. Starter vs. starter. Not only are the types different, but one can Mega Evolve."

"Maybe. Greninja is special. He knows how to get the job done."

"Fine. SCEPTILE, LEAF BLADE!"

"Dodge!"

With incredible speed, Greninja dodged while Sceptile attacked.

"Freeze that Leaf Blade with Ice Beam!"

"Solar Beam!"

Sceptile quickly charged and fired a Solar Beam that countered the coming Ice Beam.

"Greninja, use Ice Beam on the battlefield!"

The Ice Beam turned the battlefield into an ice-skating rink. Sceptile looked around, confused.

"Now, use Ice Beam on Sceptile!"

"Jump, Sceptile!"

Sceptile jumped, but Greninja still hit the attack, as his opponent jumped as he was aiming.

"One more Ice Beam should do it! Use it one more time!"

"Cut through it with Leaf Blade!"

Sceptile used Leaf Blade to protect himself from the Ice Beam, and landed the hit on Greninja. However, it wasn't very effective.

"I FORGOT ABOUT PROTEAN!"

"Push Sceptile away!"

Sceptile was pushed and fell to the icy floor. He tried to get up, but kept slipping on the ice.

"Double Team!"

Copies of Greninja surrounded Sceptile, making the latter confused. After the Double Team was executed, Greninja became one with its trainer and formed into Ash-Greninja.

"What is that?!" Calem cried.

"Just our form of Mega-Evolution. GRENINJA, USE ICE BEAM!"

"USE LEAF STORM TO GET RID OF THE COPIES!"

Although the Leaf Storm took out the copies, the original Greninja still landed the Ice Beam. Sceptile landed and reverted back to its original form. Sceptile fainted. With his heart racing, Ash realized he did it. He had just made a huge step in the process of becoming a Pokemon Master. He had not only beaten Calem, but he also won with all six of his Pokemon. He was the champion of Kalos.

"Sceptile, return. Ash, that battle was nothing short of incredible. You managed to beat my best team not only using strategies I've seen before, but with strategies that completely blew my mind!"

"Congratulations, Ash!"

Serena ran down and gave Ash a hug. She was followed by Bonnie and Clemont.

"Ash, that was amazing! Congratulations!" Clemont said.

"That was awesome!" Bonnie squealed.

"Thanks!"

"Ash, come with me. We have to make sure that your victory is forever remembered in the Hall of Fame."

Ash stepped on one more elevator with Calem and rode up to a new room. In the center of the room was a device with six PokeBall slots. Ash placed five of them in the slots and Pikachu jumped up and put his hand in the last slot.

"I will never forget our battle." Calem said.

"Me neither!" Ash replied.

They both smiled as they rode down the elevator.

 **On Route 23**...

The five exited the Pokemon League and took a walk towards Santalune City.

"Well, back to where we started." Ash said, as he remembered the first Kalos gym battle he had.

"Yeah," Calem agreed, "Hey Ash. I have something for you."

Calem reached into his backpack and took out a small box. He opened it, and gave Ash a bracelet and a Key Stone. A Mega Stone bracelet also came with it.

"You see, when I was in Lumiose City, Professor Sycamore gave me a Kanto starter with a Mega Stone. I chose Charmander, so he gave me a Charizardite. Maybe you can use it."

"Wow! Thank you so much!"

"No problem!"

"So you can Mega-Evolve Pokemon now?" Bonnie asked curiously.

"Yeah..." Ash said in disbelief.

"There are lots of Mega-Evolutions out there..." Clemont said.

"I know."

"So, what now?"

"I think I'll try my hand at the Pokedex. I did promise Professor Oak I would complete it."

"Wow..I hope you do it! Rumor has it that Professor Sycamore will give you rare items if you complete the Pokedex!"

"Awesome!" Ash exclaimed.

They sat down on a bench. Serena laid her head on Ash's shoulder, Bonnie began to sleep, and Clemont, Calem, and Ash looked up at the stars. The future was upon them.

In the distance, a strange Pokemon watched the entire conversation. It then flew away to the Pokemon Village. The Pokemon were overjoyed to see it return. However, it said nothing, and walked into the cave.

 **TO BE CONTINUED?**


	12. Huge Steps

**I'm wondering if I should continue the series. Let me know in the comments. DISCLAIMER I don't own Pokemon.**

 **In Santalune City...**

"So you're going to complete the Pokedex? Keep in mind that's not an easy feat." Calem noted.

"I know. I'll have to do a lot of backtracking." Ash agreed.

The group was in Santalune City after Ash had become the champion of Kalos the previous day.

"Can we go back to Pokemon Village one more time before we start?" Bonnie asked.

"Well...we never did get to completely explore it," Serena noted.

"I'm up for it. Plus, you can catch more Pokemon there!" Calem pointed out.

"All right then! But I need to get some Ultra Balls from the PokeMart first." Ash said before running away.

 **In Pokemon Village...**

"Well, here we are! Bonnie, you can explore. I'm going to catch some Pokemon." Ash said before searching for Pokemon. He encountered a Bannette in a trash can, a Gothita, Ditto, Furfrou, Garbodor, and Sneasel and put them all in his PokeDex. Bonnie, Serena, and her Pokemon played with the Pokemon hiding in the grass while Clemont and Calem examined the Pokemon for future inventions. Meanwhile, Ash caught a red Gyarados, a Carvanha, a Sharpedo, and a Basculin in the nearby lake. Finally, he entered the cave. In it, he found a Pokemon with its back turned. Ash gasped, instantly knowing who it was. The gasp got the Pokemon's attention.

 _"Well, well, well. If it isn't Ash. Nice to see you again."_

"Mewtwo?! What are you doing here?"

 _"This is where I went after our little...mishap in Kanto with Giovanni. You could call this my second home. What are you doing here?"_

"Well...I just became champion, and I'm going to complete the PokeDex."

 _"Hmmm...so I presume you have to catch me."_

"I guess so..."

 _"I'm not so easy to catch. Only one person has caught me before."_

"ONE?!"

 _"Correct. However, I don't mind letting you attempt to catch me. Let's begin."_

"All right! GRENINJA, I CHOOSE YOU!"

" _A Kalos starter. I expected a Kanto starter like Charizard. No matter."_

Mewtwo used Psychic and slammed Greninja on the ground.

"Greninja, Feint Attack!"

Greninja landed the attack, but Mewtwo wasn't finished. He used another Psychic, but Greninja broke free.

"Great, Greninja! Feint Attack again!"

Mewtwo was hit once again, and was close to fainting. Ash pulled out an Ultra Ball and threw it at Mewtwo, only for Mewtwo to instantly break out of it.

 _"I told you, I'm not that easy to catch."_

Mewtwo then used Recover, which put him almost at full health.

"ASH!" Calem ran inside the cave. He stopped when he saw the Pokemon he was battling.

"WHO IS THAT?!"

 _"Ah, the former champion. Why don't you watch your friend as he attempts to catch me?"_

"HE CAN TALK?!"

"Calem, calm down. This is Mewtwo. I met him in Kanto."

"He looks like a legendary...are you really trying to catch him?"

"Yes! This is a giant step to completing the PokeDex!"

Calem put his hands in his pocket.

"Fine. I guess I'll watch! But be careful! Legendaries have a 0.4% catch rate, making it nearly impossible to catch!"

 _"He's a knowledgable one."_

"Where were we? Oh right! Feint Attack!"

The attack landed, quickly getting rid of the recovered health Mewtwo gained. Again, Mewtwo was low on health. Ash threw another Ultra Ball. This time, it shook twice, but Mewtwo broke free again.

" _Close. But it's time to kick it up a notch."_

Now, Mewtwo used Psystrike and aimed it straight at Greninja.

"DODGE!"

The Psystrike missed and obliterated a nearby wall. Ash took out another Ultra Ball.

 _"I can do this."_ He thought. Greninja stopped running and awaited his trainer's command.

"Greninja, Water Shuriken!"

The attack hit, hurting Mewtwo, but just enough so it could still be caught. Mewtwo was panting. Ash threw the Ultra Ball once more. One...two...three! Mewtwo was caught.

"I..did it! I did it! I CAUGHT A LEGENDARY!"

Calem ran up. "That was fantastic! I was sure that would take a while! Looks like I was wrong."

Ash threw Mewtwo's PokeBall and Mewtwo appeared.

 _"You're the second trainer who's caught me."_

Mewtwo smiled.

 _"However, knowing you, I'm sure that you won't use me for evil."_

"You're right!"

Ash noticed something sparkling near Mewtwo's feet. Mewtwo followed his gaze and picked up the object. He gave it to Ash.

" _This stone allows me to Mega-Evolve. You may want to keep that just in case."_

"Which one?"

" _What do you mean?"_

"Back in Unova, I saw you Mega-Evolve into Mega Mewtwo Y. Remember Genesect?"

" _The Genesect I battled was different from normal Genesects. It was a different color..."_

"Maybe I can explain," Calem interrupted. "That was probably a shiny."

 _"A shiny?"_

Ash took over, as Calem explained it to him when caught the red Gyarados.

"A shiny is a Pokemon with a color different than it's normal color. There's a 1 in 8000-something chance you'll find one!"

" _It was strong, so if you catch it, it will definitely be useful to you. Anyway, this is my Y stone. Take it."_

Ash took the stone and returned Mewtwo to its PokeBall. They left the cave and found their friends near the entrance.

"Ash, it's getting dark out. Maybe we should head to the Pokemon Center." Clemont said.

"Maybe you're right."

With that, the company exited the Pokemon Village and headed towards the Pokemon Center.

 **Two weeks later...**

Ash, Clemont, Bonnie, and Serena took the elevator to Professor Sycamore's room.

"Why, hello! Congratulations on becoming the champion!"

"Thanks, Professor!"

"To what do I owe this visit?"

"I came to show you my PokeDex."

Ash handed him his now complete Kalos Pokedex. The Professor grinned from ear to ear and reached into his pocket.

"That's amazing! Thank you so much for your help! In return, I have a gift for you."

He held up a necklace with an oval on it.

"This is the Oval Charm. If you have Pokemon in the daycare, this increases the chance of finding an egg."

"Wow, thank you!"

"Now, let me give you another challenge."

He took his Pokedex and a few minutes later, he returned it. Ash looked and saw a new feature called the National PokeDex. He saw he had captured about 300 Pokemon out of 722.

"WHOA! 722 Pokemon?!"

"That's right! You have to go from region to region to get some of these Pokemon. Some can also be accessed by breeding, fishing, and horde encounters! I'd say the legendaries are the toughest to catch."

"But...where do I start?"

Professor Sycamore handed him a newspaper. Ash read the headlines: **MYSTERIOUS RINGS FOUND IN THE HOENN REGION! FOREIGN POKEMON APPEAR!**

"Back to Hoenn, huh? Well, I know some friends who can help me there!"

"OK! When you're done, come back and I'll give you another gift. I'll contact a special friend to meet you at the train station."

"So...you're leaving?" Bonnie asked in tears.

"I have to. I can't complete the PokeDex only in Kalos."

"Then we'll see you off!" Clemont said. Serena was pretty close to tears herself.

They left the Pokemon Lab and headed towards the train station. A train from the Hoenn region arrived.

"So, I guess this is it." Ash said sadly.

"Yeah..." Serena said.

"Please don't leave, Ash! Please!" Bonnie said with tears streaming down her face. Ash kneeled down to her. I have something for you to remember me by. Ash gave her a PokeBall. Bonnie threw it and a white Eevee appeared.

"Thanks, Ash. I'll still miss you though." Bonnie threw her arms around Ash's neck. "You're like the brother I've never had..." Ash hugged her back and shook Clemont's hand.

"You've taught me so much...thank you!" Clemont said.

"So did you! Science truly is amazing!" Ash responded.

Finally, Ash stopped in front of Serena. Her eyes glistened with tears, as she prepared to say goodbye.

"Serena, I want you to join me in Hoenn."

This came as a complete surprise to Serena. She was tongue-tied.

"If you don't want to, I understand."

She smiled.

"Honestly, I'd love to. But I still have to become Kalos Queen..."

"Ok. You're really close! You can do it!"

"I'll catch up with you, though. I promise!"

"When is the performance against Aria?"

"Next week! I have to practice if I have any chance of winning."

They shared one last kiss and Pikachu jumped on his shoulder.

"Good luck! Maybe I'll become Champion of Hoenn too! I don't know."

"Go for it, Ash!" Serena encouraged.

"You can do it!" Clemont agreed.

"Thanks!"

They stepped on the train and found a seat. As the train left, Serena, Bonnie, and Clemont waved goodbye. Ash returned the wave and looked at his passenger.

"You must be Ash!"

The man had light-green hair and wore a suit with a Key Stone.

"Professor Sycamore told me about you. My name's Steven. It's nice to sit with a fellow champion."

"You're the Hoenn champion?"

"That's right!"

Ash smiled.

"Well, I may be coming for your title soon."

Steven returned the smile.

"Well, I'd be glad to battle you for it."

Ash laid back as the train took him from Kalos back to Hoenn, where a new adventure awaited him.

 **THE END**


End file.
